My CBF General Assembly Itinerary And Much More

Thursday marks the official beginning of the General Assembly of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. This year the General Assembly is being held in Washington D.C. And on Friday evening, the CBF and the American Baptist Churches USA will convene and worship together. For more on this historic gathering and celebration of Baptist unity - see here.

Since The Big Daddy Weave will be present for the Assembly and Celebration, I have provided a list of notable events and workshops sponsored by the CBF. To see a complete list of auxillary events and workshops - click here.

Wednesday, June 27

The Minister and Politics: How To Be Political Without Being Partisan

Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, Greg Boyd, and Melissa Rogers (blog) will speak to this question at the upcoming The Minister and Politics conference hosted by Christian Ethics Today and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. For more details, please see my previous post.

Thursday, June 28

Morning Events

Freedom from Hunger and Poverty (sponsored by Bread for the World, CBF, Baylor)

We are called to be the presence of Christ for those who suffer from extreme poverty, hunger and disease. As a follow-up to last year’s HIV/AIDS Summit, we’ll hear from members of Congress, Hill Staffers, and religious leaders whose collaboration across party lines has created new and effective U.S. policies to address the root causes of hunger and poverty.

Alan Larson, former undersecretary of state, will join Congressman Artur Davis and Bread for the World president David Backmann on this discussion panel. For more info, see here.

The New Global Mission w/ CBF Global Missions Coordinator Dr. Rob Nash
Local Congregations and Mission in the 21st Century

Come share in an open and honest discussion of the challenges facing congregations as they seek to engage in global mission in the 21st century. As we enter into the “Century of the Congregation,” discuss implications for sharing the gospel with the world!

Nash is expected to unveil a new Global Missions strategy that will restructure the way that the CBF does missions. I'll be there. For more info, see here.

Prosperity Gospel: Revisiting Stewardship or Selling Indulgences?
w/ Bill Leonard

Explore the current “Prosperity Gospel” phenomenon and its implications for individuals, congregations and popular religion in postmodern America. Questions include: What is the “Prosperity Gospel,” how did it evolve, and what does it suggest about biblicism, materialism, and spirituality in today’s church? Not for the theologically squeamish!

It's Bill Leonard - better come early to get a seat...

Caring for God’s Creation
w/ Melissa Rogers

Discuss current threats to our environment and how these threats affect the poorest of the poor. Practical suggestions will be offered regarding the roles religious communities may plan in addressing these issues. We are all responsible for God’s created order!

Jim Ball, president and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network will join Melissa Rogers for a workshop on religious activism and environmental issues. For more, see here.

Afternoon Events

William Whitsitt Society – Ministry to Victims of Global Sex Trade

Everyone is invited to this meeting, which is sponsored by the Whitsitt Society. Lauren Bethell will be given the Whitsitt Courage Award, after which she will describe her ministry to victims of international sex trade and answer questions about the ministry.

Of course I'll be there since I did write an article for the latest issue of the Whitsitt Journal.

CBF HIV/AIDS Network and the Missional Church
w/ Ronnie Adams

Hear from individuals, churches and CBF field personnel who are working with HIV/AIDS communities around the world. Discover ways your church can reach out to the 39.4 million persons infected with HIV and make a difference in their lives and in your own. For more, see here.

The State of Women in Baptist Life 2006 Report
w/ Eileen Campbell-Reed and Pamela R. Durso

Attitudes about women in society, the professions and ministry have changed dramatically in the last 30 years. Hear survey results of Baptist attitudes toward women in society and the latest statistics about women’s leadership in the second annual State of Women in Baptist Life report commissioned by Baptist Women in Ministry.

You’re in Washington: Be an Advocate!
J. Brent Walker and K. Hollyn Hollman (Baptist Joint Committee)

Being an effective advocate requires planning, preparation and follow-through. Hear practical tips for making a difference on issues of concern (especially religious liberty) through contact with elected officials and other political activists. Read more about additional BJC events.

Friday, June 29

Morning Events

8 a.m. Baptist Unity Rally for Religious Liberty (sponsored by BJC)

In May 1920, George W. Truett, a Baptist preacher from Dallas, Texas, climbed the east steps of the U.S. Capitol to address a throng of some 10,000 onlookers. His purpose in addressing the crowd was to rally support for religious liberty and its constitutional corollary, the separation of church and state. Religious, political and educational leaders will celebrate our Baptist heritage by reading excerpts of Truett’s speech. Rep. Chet Edwards of Texas, Rep. Bobby Scott of Virginia, William Underwood, Pam Durso, Jeff Haggray, Stan Hastey, Daniel Vestal, Amy Butler, Julie Pennington-Russell, Curt Lucas and Rob Marus are among those scheduled to participate.

The event will be held at Fountain Plaza at Upper Senate Park, adjacent to the U.S. Capitol and Russell Senate Office Building, between Delaware and New Jersey avenues.

Last Friday I blogged about this historic event. Count me in.

The New Baptist Covenant Explained
w/ David Emmanuel Goatley and Alan Stanford

President Jimmy Carter has initiated a new covenant among North American Baptists calling them to work together across racial and organizational lines to express a positive and prophetic Baptist voice. Come learn more about it. Make plans for a historic gathering in January, 2008!

Christian Ethics and Immigration Policy
w/ Melissa Rogers

How should Christian ethics inform our understanding of and responses to immigration policy? What can our churches do? Join leaders who are expert in Christian ethics and immigration policy to discuss these questions.

The speakers at this workshop will be Albert Reyes, president of Buckner Children and Family Services and a member of Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Suzii Paynter, director of the Texas Christian Life Commission; and Jenny Hwang of World Relief. Melissa Rogers will moderate. For more see here.

BCE Film Series and Panel Discussion Always...Therefore: The Church's Challenge of Global Poverty
w/ Robert Parham

Learn ways Christians can engage in feeding a hungry world. The Baptist Center for Ethics is sponsoring a screening and discussion on this movie. Following the film, a brief panel discussion will explore the biblical mandate to feed the hungry and ways to be faithful to that mandate.

More info can be found here.

The Churches Response to Genocide
w/ Gregory Stanton

Hear a Christian response to genocide with a focus on genocide both past and present. You’ll leave with a motivation to be the presence of Christ to a world crying for help.

BCE Film Series and discussion Faith and Politics
w/ Robert Parham

The Baptist Center for Ethics is sponsoring a screening and panel discussion about authentic Christian values, how Christians should express their faith in politics and how to live faithfully in a pluralistic society and a world of competing interests.

Bono and Billy Graham: Ministering to All without Losing Me
w/ CBF Leadership Team

An intergenerational panel from CBF’s young leader organization will dialogue and share in Q & A. Where are young people in CBF life? How does the church need to change? Vocational direction, the importance of Sabbath, being single or married in the church, cultural issues, and many more issues will be explored.

CBF/ABC Partnership Work in New Church Starts

Come see what CBF and ABC are accomplishing together in the field of New Church Starts. Hear about current successful church starts and prospects for future work together.

Keeping Baptist Distinctives from Being Baptist Extinctives
w/ Bill Tillman and Stacy Conner

Baptist distinctives carry a soft underside which can be and have been exploited. Address of social issues and wholesome evangelism becomes stunted and perverted. Suggestions will be made toward a healthy projection of these distinctives.

And last but not least - come join friends of the Baptist Joint Committee as they celebrate religious liberty at the annual RLC Luncheon.

Author/professor Randall Balmer will deliver the keynote address at the annual Religious Liberty Council luncheon to be held in conjunction with the overlapping meetings of CBF and ABC USA in Washington, D.C. The event is scheduled for 12:15-1:45 p.m., June 29, in Independence Ballroom A at the Grand Hyatt Washington.

Balmer is a professor of American Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University, a visiting professor at Yale Divinity School and the author of Thy Kingdom Come: An Evangelical’s Lament.

Stephen Fox of BaptistLife.com fame pestered me daily last Fall until I purchased Thy Kingdom Come. I admit - it was money well spent. My sister even made use of Balmer's work in her freshmen English essay about Michael Farris, the homeschool movement and reasons why we should fight to preserve our public school system. Needless to say, I'm excited about hearing Randall Balmer while enjoying yet another chicken plate.

Baptist Blogging - The Whitsitt Journal

Below is my article from the Spring issue of The Whitsitt Journal, a semi-annual publication of the William Whitsitt Baptist Heritage Society.

Founded in 1992, following 12 years of denominational infighting among Southern Baptists, the William Whitsitt Baptist Heritage Society was birthed by moderate Baptist historians concerned that fundamentalism endangered much of traditional Baptist heritage. The Society publishes a Journal, meets annually during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly, and presents the annual Courage Award.

Baptist Blogging
By Aaron Weaver

Since the turn of the 21^st century, internet blogs have become a major facet in American politics. Some blogs, such as Arianna Huffington's “Huffington Post,” report the breaking news of the day while others serve merely as online gossip hubs. Bloggers are often the first to report on seemingly obscure stories. Beginning in 2002, mainstream media outlets began covering stories made popular in the blogosphere. In early December 2002, Senator Trent Lott (R-MS), Majority Leader of the United States Senate, praised Strom Thurmond at a party in his honor by suggesting that the United States would have been better off had Thurmond been elected President in 1948. Prominent bloggers like Josh Marshall (talkingpointsmemo.com), Atrios (atrios.blogspot.com), Glenn Reynolds (instapundit.com), and their 200,000+ readers viewed Lott's comments as a tacit approval of racial segregation, a policy advocated by Thurmond's 1948 presidential campaign. Ultimately, the efforts of these bloggers and their readers helped to create a political crisis that forced Lott to step down as Majority Leader. The role that blogging played in Lott's fall from grace gave greater credibility to blogs as a medium of news dissemination.

Since 2004, blogs have become increasingly mainstream as political consultants and candidates have begun using blogs as tools for outreach, fundraising, and opinion forming. Blog communities such as the Daily Kos (dailykos.com) have been quite successful in electing grassroots candidates at both the national and state levels. In fact, Howard Dean used his blog and other bloggers to help raise over $20 million in contributions via the Internet alone. Politicians such as Eliot Spitzer of New York even announced that he was running for Governor via his blog.

Blogs have also become an extremely popular and influential means of communication, especially as a medium of exchanging ideas, among Christians. Of the more than four million blogs in the constantly expanding blogosphere, thousands belong to Christians. Commonly referred to as “Godblogs”—blogs whose content is primarily of a religious nature—these bloggers actively seek to influence and impact the world around them. The power of the blogosphere lies in its interconnection. Admittedly, only a small percentage of the “Godblogs” generate thousands of visitors daily. However, through blog communities, group blogs, blogrings and other networks lies the power of less popular blogs to influence others.

Just last summer, Time Magazine wrote that bloggers contributed significantly to Frank Page's election as President of the Southern Baptist Convention in the first seriously contested presidential race since the Fundamentalist Takeover. Over the last two years, blogging among Southern Baptists has become increasingly popular, but not without controversy. Hundreds of Southern Baptists have become bloggers and many have dared to publicly challenge the decisions and motives of prominent fundamentalist leaders such as Paige Patterson and Roger Moran. The most influential and controversial Southern Baptist blogs belong to Wade Burleson (kerussocharis.blogspot.com), Oklahoma pastor and embattled trustee of the International Mission Board, Marty Duren (sbcoutpost.com), a Georgia pastor, and Ben Cole (baptistblog.wordpress.com), a young Texas pastor who quite frequently expresses strong disdain for his former boss Paige Patterson.

Unfortunately, most moderate Baptists have not chosen to jump into the cutting edge waters of the blogosphere to disseminate their views. Robert Parham of the Baptist Center of Ethics has described this condition, but also issued a challenge to moderates to make greater use of internet technology. In 2006 he wrote, "A few centrist Baptists are (blogging), however. They're a small tribe who apparently believe that moral opinions matter, that moderate avoidance of conflict is moral indifference, that candles shouldn't be hidden under bushels. They are young. They are outnumbered 10-1 by the fundamentalist bloggers."

Younger Baptists can be reached by blogging. They blog; they read blogs; they like blogs. They are exchanging ideas with each other, and they are willing to read blogs from other Baptists of all ages. Their blogging is of course not limited to Baptist or even religious subjects, but some bloggers are thinking and writing about topics of interests to moderate Baptists.

Some moderate/progressive Baptists are already making an impact. A few of the more significant moderate Baptist bloggers are as follows:

• Dr. Bruce Prescott, Executive Director of Mainstream Oklahoma Baptists, hosts the blog Mainstream Baptist (mainstreambaptist.blogspot.com) and is the “Father of the Baptist Blogosphere.” Blogging daily for three years, Prescott posts on a wide range of issues from the “New Baptist Covenant” to the need for a “Living Wage.” No friend of fundamentalists, Prescott frequently chides Southern Baptist leaders for their unwavering support of the Bush Administration. Prescott is also the founder of the “Mainstream Baptist Group Blog” (mainstreambaptists.blogspot.com) which features posts from a dozen "mainstream" Baptists who are committed to the separation of church and state, soul freedom, and compassionate justice.
• Brian Kaylor, a Communications Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Missouri and doctoral student at the University of Missouri, hosts the blog “For God's Sake Shut Up!” (forgodsakeshutup.blogspot.com). Kaylor’s blog is designed to teach Christians how to communicate effectively, which includes knowing when to remain silent. All too often, Religious Right leaders make outrageous statements that damage the image and witness of Christians around the world. Kaylor confronts these harmful statements regularly on his blog.
• Melissa Rogers, Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School, hosts a widely-read blog (melissarogers.typepad.com) on religion's intersection with public affairs. Recognized on Capitol Hill as one of America's top church-state experts, Rogers’ blog offers daily insight into the happenings of religion and politics both inside and outside of the beltway in Washington, D.C.
• Dr. Michael Westmoreland-White hosts “Levellers” (levellers.wordpress.com), a blog named after the religiously-inspired political movement for democracy, human rights, and peace led by Richard Overton. A former theologian (SBTS '95) turned peace activist/educator, Westmoreland-White focuses mostly on politics with a special emphasis on peace and justice related issues. Recently, Westmoreland-White started a “Christian Peace Bloggers’ blogring with over 50 active members.
• “Blog from the Capital” (www.bjconline.org/cgi-bin), hosted by the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, is another noteworthy blog. Run by Don Byrd, “Blog from the Capital” provides the most comprehensive coverage of religious liberty issues and church-state jurisprudence in the entire blogosphere.
• Two more notable Baptist blogs are “Moral Contradictions” (moralcontradictions.org) hosted by Nathan White, a student at Baptist Theological Seminary of Richmond, and “Texas in Africa” (texasinafrica.blogspot.com), hosted by Laura Seay, a Ph.D. student at the University of Texas and member of the First Baptist Church of Austin. Both bloggers regularly write on social justice related issues.

Baptist blogging: add the phrase to your vocabulary.